Don't ever question my honesty, Maz The comment above was very tongue in cheek, think I made one similar jocular post a few weeks ago. Yes, of course we replace wheel bearings but it's definitely not at epidemic level. Nobby's Uly (Raiderfan's old bike) has recently had it's third set fitted at 30,000 mls; mine has done over 18,000 mls and is only on it's second set. I'll let you know if we fit the third set this week.

Felt a bit angry when I used the emoticon earlier but you should know me well enough by now to know that I don't do dishonesty.

We've had this conversation many times now and the Tech section is not the right place but as we've started, I'll go on.......

As you know,my customers get to stand over me whilst I'm working on their bikes.If you read the various threads here you will see that pretty much every time I fit a set of tyres, new bearings are required... 9 times out of 10.

How do your techs assess bearings ?......there's very rarely any play or any indication that the bearings are knackered whilst on the bike but once on the balancer the growling is deafening.....not easy to hear on a bike but if it was the same on a car, for instance, you wouldn't drive it !Fit new bearings and repeat and the silence is deafening I can honestly say, 100% that I've yet to see an XB go more than 5K without the wheel bearings being bolloxed......I'm not calling you a liar, just ignorant

Is it just the crap original bearings that go or will i have to expect to change these as regular as the tyres just fitted skf's as per spec recommended via forum in all the years I've had bikes I've never had bearings go so early in the life of a bike norm btwn 14,000 to 20'000 am really surprised at the crap finish the buell has new harleys rot as quick as look at them but expected better especially on an "Adventure" bike some adventure if you have to swop wheels/ bearings/ hope brakes dont shake loose, exhaust doesnt rot through, best not ride farther than top of street could always bring bike into sitting room sit on it and watch the wong way wound!!

At 30,000km/18,000 miles on my 2004 XB12S I was expecting to have shagged rear wheel bearings and swingarm and head bearings, but I kid you not, could not fault. I bought a full set of bearings in advance, so now I'm stocked up. I'm in Australia, maybe its the salt on the roads to melt the ice that gets into them (in the UK). It got converted to SCG so wheels and suspension units were out at the time I checked the steering head and swingarm bearings. I trust you Maz, just seems there may be different mileage in different parts of the globe.

It really is amazing to hear the difference new verses knackered (you can feel it in the bearing also) but impossible to tell withthe wheels on the bike, in my opinion.

Simon

Had to add my take on this one as Iv'e followed this subject on here before.I thought I better check out my xb 12 bearings just out of interest ,and with less than 3.5 K on the clock is on the money .........the front ones are on their way out !Fortunatly Preston HD changed them under warranty .But you wonder what makes them go so quickly on one bike and last for ages on others .

Has anybody out there tried ceramic bearings or is the cost/benefit not worth it ?

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